Flash light



June 26, 1923. 1,460,149

E. R. BARANY FLASH LIGHT Filed July 8. 1922 2 0 g r Z0 21 40 Z8 56 a I 47 i k gjj 7 49 38 /6 52 49 0 10 Snow wot till Patented dune 2d,, 1320nrrn stars EDMUND its BARAIQ'Y, 0E BEQOKLYN, NE YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 FRANCGELECTRIG I CQRPORATEGN; A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

" i r' LIGHT.

To all whom it concern:

Be it, known that I, EDMUND R. BARANY, a citizenof the United States,residing in the boron h of Brooklyn, county of Kings city and tateof'New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FlashLights, of which the following is a specification. I I

This invention relates to portable electric lamps of the type generally.referred to as flashlights.

An important object of the invention is to provide in a flashlight animproved means forvmounting a plurality of electric bulbs together withtheir several associated cooperative elements, and a novel and improvedmeans for controlling the independent circuits leading to said lampsfrom a suitable source of electric energy.

Other objects and certain advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings in which;

Figure 1 is a view partly in section and (partly in elevation of aflashlight embo ying my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmental sectional view 11- lustratin the flashlight asviewed from the right in *igure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4- is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

In the drawingswherein is shown what I at present consider the preferredform of my invention, the numeral '5 indicates an elongated casing,within which is arranged the usual form of cell 6, the carbon electrode7 of which is arranged centrally within the customary zinc container 8which forms the opposite electrode of the cell. The cell 6 is rovidedwith a cardboard or other insulating sleeve 9, which, as will be readilyunderstood, serves to insulate the cell from the casing 5. It may beremarked that while I have shown the source of electrical energy asconsisting of a single cell, a plurality of cells may be employed andmaintained in an end to end relation within the casing 5 in accordancewith usual practice. In order to retain the cell 6'or other suitahissource of electrical energy such as a plurality ofcells, properlpositioned within the casing-l employ t e usual form of screw threadedcap 10 which is carried at one end of the casing and provided with athrust spring 11, one end of which engages the. bottom of the zincelectrode 8 The sprin 11 which is arranged to exert a 1011- gitudinalthrust upon the cell 6 tends to maintain the carbon electrode Lthereofin intimate electrical engagement with a U- shaped conductor strip 12,which is carried by an insulating disc 13, and suitably connectedthereto by meansof a rivet 14 which also serves to retain a reflector onaging conductor 15 in position upon the o verse side of the disc 13.This insulating disc is readily removable and is arranged u on a seat 13formed at one end of the casing 5. It will be readily appreciated thatby this construction rapid assembly of the device is made possible. Thereflector engaging conductor 15 projects an appreciabledistance abovethe u per face of the disc 13 and at its free en is maintained inengagement with a reflector 16 which is arranged cen-= trally within areflector head 17, carried by the casing 5. The reflector 16 in thisparticular ty e of flashlight is insulated from the casing y means of aninsulating ring 18, which is adapted to rest upon-a ledge 19, formed inthe reflector head relatively near the outer end thereof. Upon thereflector 16 there is arranged the usual'form of lens or closure 20which is retained in position by means of a lens ring 21 having screwthreaded engagement with the reflector head 17 at the outer end thereof.

'The reflector 16 is provided centrally with a screw threaded support 22adapted to receive the screw threaded outer contact 23 of an electriclamp 2%, the central contact 25 of which projects a slight distance intothe reflector head 17 as clearly shown in Figure 1. Adjacent the lamp 2%there is provided a pairof auxiliary amp supports 26 and 27 whichproject an appreciable distance into the reflector head 17. Thesesupports are screw --threaded at their lower ends as shown at 28 and 29and are adapted to receive respectively the screw threaded outercontacts 30 and 31 of electric lamps 32 and 33. The lower ends of thesupports 26 and 27 are provided with insulating rings 34 and 35 whichare adapted to prevent short circuiting between the lamps 32 and 33 andconductors 36 and 37 respectively.

The conductors 36 and 37 are carried by tially identical, are bent toprovide contact bases 40 and 41 adapted to engage respectively thecentral contacts 42 and 43 of the 1 lamps 32 and 33] The contact bases40 and 41 are provided with oppositely disposed resilient fingers 44 andintermediate resilient arms 45 which are grouped about the insulatingrings 34 and 35when thereflector 16 is placed in position within thereflector head 17. It will be appreciated that by reason of the positionof the fingers 44 and the arms 45, the conductors 36 and 37 may beutilized to a certain extent to insure a correct positioning of thereflector 16 ,when the device is being assembled.v Since the conductors36 and 37 are more or less resilient they function also as. a means forefl'ectively retaining the, insulating support 13 properly positionedupon its seat 13' under all conditions when the lens ring 21 is .rundown into its proper position as shown in Figures 1 and 2. l

As a means for closing the circuit through the several lamps I rovide aplurality of slides 46, 47 and 48 wiiich are mounted upon the casing 5in the usual manner and provided respectively with elongated conductorstrips 49, 50 and 51, arranged within the casing 5. These strips are, attheir up or ends, bent to provide feet 52, 53 and 54. 13y moving theintermediate slide 47 the strip 50 is so moved as to bring its foot 53into contact with a rivet 55, which serves to secure a conductor strip56 to the disc 13,

which conductor strip is bent into a U-shape at one end and adapted toen age the central contact 25 of the lamp 24. y so actuating the slide47 current from the cell 6 or other source of electrical supply ispermitted to pass through the conductor 12, the reflector engagingconductor 15, the reflector 16, the outer contact 23 of the lamp 24 fromwhence it travels through the filament thereof to the central contact25, thence through the conductor 56 to the conductor 50 and back to thezinc container 8 by way of the casing 5 and the spring 11. If thecentral lamp 24 should burn out the secondary lamp 32 may be readilyplaced in circuit by so moving the slide 46 as to bring the foot 52 ofthe conductor 49 into engagement with the rivet 38 in which case thecurrent from the cell 6 or other source of supply is permitted to travelthrough the conductor 12, the reflector engaging conductor 15, thereflector 16, into the lamp 32 through the outer contact 30, out of thelamp 32 through the central contact 42 to the conductor 36 from whenceit travels through the conductor 49 and back to the zinc electrode 8 bway of the casin 5, and the spring 11. hould it be desired to place thelamp 33 in circuit, the slide 48 is so moved as to bring the foot 54 ofthe conductor 51 into engagement with the rivet 39 thereby permittingthe current to'travel through the conductor 12, the reflector engagingconductor 15, the reflector 16, into the lamp 33 through the outercontact .31, out of the lamp 33 through the central contact 43 to theconductor 37, through the conductor 51 back to the zinc electrode 8, bywe of the casing 5 and the spring 11.

1 will be noted that the circuit through anyone of the lamps 24, 32 and33 may be closed independently of each other in the event thatit isdesired to place only one lamp in circuit with a source of electricalsupply. If, on the other hand it is desired to place two or more of thelamps in circuit this may be accomplished by so moving the lected tofunction collectively as a source of illumination. I

Having thus described my invention I claim: 1. A flashlight comprising acasing adapted to receive a source of electrical energy, a reflectorassociated with said casing, a support arranged at the rear of saidreflector, a plurality of lamps associated with said reflector,conductors supported by said support and leading individually to saidlamps, said conductors. cooperating with said lamps to retainsaidsupport properly positioned at the rear of said conductor, and meansfor placing said lamps in circuit with said source of energy throughsaid conductors.

2. A flashlight comprising a casing adapted to receive a battery, areflector associated with said casing, a support arranged at the rear ofthe said reflector, a plurality of lamps associated with said reflector,conductors supported by said support and leading individually to saidlamps, said conductors cooperating with said lamps to retain saidsupport properly positioned at the rear of said conductor, and aplurality of circuit closures adapted to cooperate with said conductorsfor electrically connecting said lamps individually in circuit with saidbattery. 7

3. A flashlight comprising a casing adapt ed to receive a battery, areflector associated with said casing, an insulating support arranged atthe rear of said reflector, a plurality of lamps associated with saidreflector, conductors supported by said insulating support and leadingindividually to said lamps, a contact finger supported by saidinsulating support and electrically engaging said reflector, said fingerbeing electrically connected to said battery, and manually operatedmeans for connecting said lam s in circult with said battery through saiconductors and contact finger.

4. A flashlight comprising a casing, having a support receiving seat, abattery Within sald casing having one electrode thereof electricallyconnected to said casing, a support seated upon said seat atone end ofsaid casing, a reflector having a lamp associated therewith, a conductorcarried by said support and leading to said lamp, said conductor beingadapted to retain said support in position upon said seat, meanselectrically connecting said reflector to one electrode of said battery,and a slidable circuit closure electrically connected to said casing andadapted to be moved into electrical engagement with said conductor toplace said lamp in circuit with said battery through said reflector andconductor.

5. A flashlight comprising a casing, a battery within said casing havingone electrode thereof electrically connected to said casing, 21 supportat one end of said casing, a reflector having a lamp associatedtherewith, a conductor carried by said support and leading to said lamp,means electrically connecting said reflector to one electrode of saidbattery, a slidable circuit closure electrically connected to saidcasing and adapted to be moved into electrical engagement with saidconductor to place said lamp in circuit with said battery through saidreflector and conductor, and means for insulating said reflector fromsaid casing.

6. A flashlight comprising a casing having a support receiving seat, abattery within said casing having one electrode thereof electricallyconnected to said casing, a sup port seated upon said seat at one end ofsaid casing, a reflector having a plurality of lamps associatedtherewith, conductors carried by said support and leading to said lamps,said conductors cooperating with said lamps to retain said supportseated upon said seat, means electrically connecting said reflector toone electrode of said battery, a slidable circuit closure electricallyconnected to said casing and adapted to be moved into electricalengagement with said conductor to place said lamp in circuit with saidbattery through said reflector and conductor, and means for insulatingsaid reflector from said casing.

In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my signature to this specification.

EDMUND R. BARANY.

